Rail Warriors, The CEO: He has DART expansion on track (Video)

Against all odds, a region that loves cars almost as much as it loves football is home to the nation’s largest light rail system. The transition has changed the course of commuters, contractors and DART itself.

Planes and trains will finally mix when Dallas Area Rapid Transit completes the final connection into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in time for Christmas 2014.

The connection will be a “game changer” for D/FW Airport, business travelers, employees who work at the airport and visitors to the area because they won’t need a vehicle to get to the airport. And no vehicle means no parking hassles, no cabs and not needing to find someone to drop you off.

At the helm is Gary Thomas, who has been CEO and president since 2001 and has worked at DART since 1998. His answer to critics who say it would be cheaper to buy everybody a car than to build public transportation is simple:

The joint project between DART and D/FW Airport will be an extension of the Orange Line straight into Terminal A. DART’s double tracks and overhead wires are already in place at the far northern stretch of the airport. Heavy construction is still underway along International Parkway and closer to the terminal where the station and tracks are being built.

“This station is an iconic representation of transportation at D/FW,” said Perfecto Solis, vice president of Airport Development & Engineering.

“The look of this station and its geographic location under the Skylink guideway will be a clear indicator to patrons of DART that they have arrived at D/FW.”

It will be ideal for corporations when business travel is required or when out-of-town employees come to town. It also will help those who work at the airport.

“Everybody gets excited about the airport. Connecting transit to the airport is a big-city thing,” Thomas said. “All those people that work in that area are going to have access through transit to ride the train out there and not have to worry about parking their car.”

In fact, the airport anticipates a decline in revenue from parking fees after the connection is in place, though not a large enough shift to stand in the way of the project. DART, on the other hand, may begin charging for overnight parking at its stations.

To read about a contractor whose business received a great boost from his DART work, click here.

To read more about a man whose life is made possible by his daily DART commute, click here.